Name: 'Vessels' Description: Massive organisms, around the size of a Condor-class ship. They come in a variety of colours and shapes, but all consistently have a large hole in the back of their central bulk, surrounded by several writhing tentacles. This hole serves as an entrance to their semi-hollow interior. Particularly old Vessels come equipped with artificially implanted equipment, such as stasis pods and a control-computer wired directly to the creature's brain. These devices are ancient, and not always functioning. Behavior: All Vessels are docile and peaceful. They are not shy, and have a tendency to follow after ships. Vessels equipped with functioning implants can be controlled through the central computer, much like a very slow ship. (However, they are not very practical, as Vessels are currently incapable of being fitted with FTL drives.) Vessels are capable of seeking out and consuming matter for use in propulsion. They utilize this matter by launching it out of themselves at a high velocity, thus pushing them forward. Some Vessals are also equipped with basic ship propulsion drives, however these drives must be fueled manually. Vessels are very social creatures, especially with their own kind. They communicate with each other via elaborate lights and colours on their skin, and commonly travel in 'pods' of three or more. Vessels have also been recorded attempting to communicate with ships in a similar fashion. Tamability: All Vessels are born 'tame' and docile. Even those unequipped with any form of cybernetic will display friendliness towards ships and space stations. Where is it found?: Space. Most of these creatures prefer to stay within solar systems or nebula, where spacebound matter can most often be found. Rarity: Most common in nebula. Semi-common in solar systems. Very rare in deep space. Diet/Method of gaining nutrients and energy: Omnivore/Lithotroph. Vessels are capable of gaining sustenance from just about anything. Products?: I suppose you could kill and eat one, but why would you want to do that? Reproduction: Asexual reproduction. While Vessels do not commonly reproduce, if provided with enough food, they will produce several small, baby Vessels off the bottom of their mass. These small creatures can take up to hundreds of years to mature. Size: Most are the size of condor-class ships. However, younger specimens can be smaller. Weight: A lot. Lifespan: Vessels are biologically immortal, but can be killed through other means. Abilities: Large. Space-faring. Peaceful. Very old specimens contain cybernetic implantations, including stasis pods that work for most organics and a computer used for controlling the movements of the organism. Flaws: Slow, for a space-faring creature. Incapable of entering FTL. Peaceful. At the mercy of really any armed ship. The implantations within them are very, very old, and often do not function without repairs. Other: The cybernetic implantations, along with the large size and friendliness of the creatures, suggests that Vessels are a now-feral species once used, in ancient times, for stasis-based space travel. The species that presumably created them seems to be forever lost to time, Vessels being the only lasting thing left behind.
